Methods, systems and apparatus for displaying the multimedia information from wireless communication networks

ABSTRACT

Video signals for a mobile terminal are converted to accommodate reproduction by an alternative display terminal. The video signal is processed to provide a converted video signal appropriate for an alternative display terminal that is separate from the mobile terminal. This converted video signal is then provided for the alternative display terminal to accommodate the corresponding video display on a screen provided by the alternative (e.g., external) display terminal.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/551,024 filed on Nov. 23, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/479,568, filed on Sep. 8, 2014, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/177,396, filed on Feb. 11,2014, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/845,171,filed on Mar. 18, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.No. 13/495,890, filed Jun. 13, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/397,156, filed Feb. 15, 2012, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/268,001, filed on Oct. 7,2011, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/929,408,filed on Jan. 21, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.No. 11/165,341, filed on Jun. 24, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,899,492,issued Mar. 1, 2011, which claims the benefit of provisional applicationSer. No. 60/588,358, filed on Jul. 16, 2004 and entitled “A Method andSystem for Displaying the Multimedia Information from WirelessCommunications or Portable IT Devices.” The entire contents of theseapplications are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to mobile terminals and relatedtechnology and more particularly to mobile terminal signal conversionfor external display.

2. Description of the Related Art

Handheld mobile terminals (e.g., cellular phones, personal digitalassistants (PDA)) continue to evolve both in terms of execution platformand functionality. It is believed that the much of the functionalityprovided by a personal computer (e.g., desktop or laptop) willultimately become virtually available in handheld mobile terminals,which will allow users to work with and access multimedia informationany time and anywhere.

For example, one particularly appealing advantage of the next generationwireless communication system and beyond (i.e., 3G, 4G, etc.) is thecapacity to support high rate multimedia data services as well asconventional voice services. In a conventional cellular system a mobileterminal communicates with a base station wirelessly. Multimediainformation including but not limited to television, 3D images, networkgames, and video phone calls is transmitted from various serviceproviders and received for display on the screen of a mobile terminal.The net result of such a system is rich multimedia information beingdestined for display on the small screens typical of cellular phones (orthe like).

In these and similar systems, the mobile terminal functions as amultimedia terminal to display multimedia information (includinghigh-resolution graphics and high-quality real-time audio/video) sentfrom high data rate wireless communications network. The limited size(e.g., 2×3″) and capability of the mobile terminal screen may renderenjoyment of the high rate data flow applications inconvenient, and insome instances useless. One consequence of this inadequacy is likelyshrinkage of the potential market size for handheld mobile terminals.Indeed, some have suggested that development of high data rate systemssuch as 3G systems may be pointless given the limitations imposed by thesmall screen.

Some mobile units appear to provide a remote control function to anexternal display system. However, these do not appear to solve the smallscreen problem outlined above. That is, they do not accommodate displayon a larger, external display of video and other multimedia informationoriginally destined for the mobile terminal display screen.

For example, one such interface accommodates usage of the mobileterminal as a remote control for a television, by feeding programmingguide information to the mobile terminal. This is useful for allowingthe programming guide to be viewed locally while the larger screendisplays a current program, but does not address to the above-describedsmall screen problem.

Although mobile terminals have been developed to include enhanced signalprocessing and related capabilities, user enjoyment is diminished by thelimitations of the display provided with such mobile terminals. What isneeded is a solution to the problem of diminished user enjoyment ofmobile terminals because of display limitations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the multimedia signal destinedfor the mobile terminal is converted and provided to an external displaysystem, so that the corresponding video and/or audio may be reproducedusing the external system.

It is believed that this feature will be useful in various environments,including but not limited to transportation environments such as planes,trains and automobiles; hotels; waiting areas; and any location wherehigh data rate services can be more fully supported by external displayterminals.

According to one aspect, processing signals for reproduction by anexternal display terminal includes receiving a video signal thataccommodates a video display on a first screen provided by the mobileterminal. The video signal is then processed to provide a convertedvideo signal appropriate for an external display terminal that isseparate from the mobile terminal. This converted video signal is thenprovided for the external display terminal to accommodate thecorresponding video display on a screen provided by the external displayterminal.

The present invention can be embodied in various forms, includingbusiness processes, computer implemented methods, computer programproducts, computer systems and networks, user interfaces, applicationprogramming interfaces, and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other more detailed and specific features of the presentinvention are more fully disclosed in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system inwhich mobile terminal signal conversion may reside in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a mobile terminalsignal conversion module in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating another example of a mobileterminal signal conversion module in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a processincluding mobile terminal signal conversion in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a systemin which mobile terminal signal conversion may reside in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating still another example of asystem in which mobile terminal signal conversion may reside inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating examples of mobile terminalsignal conversion applications in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousdetails are set forth, such as flowcharts and system configurations, inorder to provide an understanding of one or more embodiments of thepresent invention. However, it is and will be apparent to one skilled inthe art that these specific details are not required in order topractice the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system 100 inwhich mobile terminal signal conversion may reside in accordance withthe present invention.

Mobile terminal signal conversion accommodates displaying the high ratedata flow multimedia information available in a wireless communicationenvironment in an external device. This accommodates true realizationand enjoyment of the benefits of the multimedia content.

In one example, the multimedia information is provided to a wirelessmobile terminal using so-called next generation cellular technology(i.e., 3G and 4G), which can be employed in transmitting multimediainformation (e.g., rich graphics, real-time audio/video). Because of therelatively small screen size and low quality ear phones, for manyapplications the mobile terminal cannot adequately reproduce the highquality multimedia information that can be communicated using nextgeneration technology with adequate clarity and satisfaction. Mobileterminal signal conversion in accordance with this embodiment of thepresent invention makes usage of a separate multimedia display terminalincluding but not limited to a monitor, television set, projector, orLCD display. These displays typically have video and audio reproductioncapabilities that are superior to those found on mobile terminals. Theyalso use a power supply that is separate from the mobile terminal.

Still referring to the system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, multimediainformation may be provided by any number of service providers 102 a-band delivered through a network 104 to a base station 106 to ultimatelyaccommodate transmission of the multimedia information, among otherthings, to a cellular phone 108. This system 100 is provided by way ofexample, and it should be understood that any conventional orto-be-developed technology for delivering voice and/or data to mobileterminals may be provided. These wireless communication networks includebut are not limited to a cellular communications network or a wirelesslocal area network.

Also illustrated is a typical external display system 114. This may alsobe variously provided and may be digital or analog. Examples of digitalsystems include HDTV, LCD and plasma. Examples of analog systems includetelevision sets that implement standards such as NTSC, PAL, SECAM, andanalog computer monitors (SVGA, VGA). The external display system 114does not have the size constraints of the display screen on the cellularphone 108 and is preferably powered independently.

In the illustrated embodiment, a mobile terminal signal conversionmodule (MTSCM) 112 resides within a separate housing 110, outside thecellular phone 108.

The functionality of the MTSCM 112 is now further described withconcurrent reference to FIG. 1 and the flow diagram of FIG. 4.

The MTSCM 112 processes signals to accommodate reproduction by anexternal device. Specifically, a multimedia signal is transmitted to thecellular phone 108 through the wireless communications network aspreviously described (step 402). The multimedia signal may include avideo signal intended for reproduction by the cellular phone 108, usingthe cellular phone display screen. For ease of description, processingof a video signal is described, although it should be understood thatany multimedia signal or component thereof may be converted inaccordance with the present invention.

The cellular phone 108 is connected to the MTSCM 110. This may beaccommodated by a cable connection that interfaces the cellular phone108 to the MTSCM 112 housing 110. Through this connection, the MTSCM 112receives the video signal from the cellular phone 108 (step 404). Thevideo signal as received may be configured to accommodate a videodisplay on the screen provided by the cellular phone 108. The cableconnection is an example of a wired connection interfacing the cellularphone 108 to the MTSCM 112. An alternative wired connection is a seatthat directly interfaces the two without a cable. A wireless connectionmay also be provided, although it may currently be less practical toprovide than the wired connection because of the potential for highthroughput rate requirements. The wireless connection may also implementany conventional known technology including but not limited to aBluetooth connection.

The MTSCM 112 processes the video signal to provide a converted videosignal that has a display format and/or signal power level appropriatefor an external display terminal 114 that is separate from the cellularphone 108 (step 406). The display format and/or signal power level ofthe external display terminal 114 may be different from that of thecellular phone 108 but there may also be embodiments where the format isthe same. Even if the formats are the same, conversion of the signals toaccommodate display on the external display terminal 114 would still beimplemented to adjust the power level for driving the external display,and possibly to minimize throughput requirements. This signal conversionis described further with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, below.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, following signal conversion, the MTSCM112 provides the converted video signal to the external display terminal114 to accommodate the corresponding video display on a screen providedby the external display terminal 114 (step 408). This may beaccommodated through a connection between the MTSCM 112 housing 110 andthe external display terminal 114 as shown.

As used herein, mobile terminal refers to typically handheld mobiledevices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants.Although these devices include an execution platform as well as inputand display capabilities, such devices are distinguished from personalcomputers, such as desktop or laptop computers, which are not designedfor convenient handheld usage.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an MTSCM 200 inaccordance with the present invention. The MTSCM 200 may be provided assoftware, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof.

Where the MTSCM 200 is provided as software, it operates in the contextof an execution platform. That is, the MTSCM 200 includes instructionsthat are stored in memory for execution by a processor. Any conventionalor to-be-developed execution platform may be used. The processor,memory, and related elements such as a power supply are well known andneed not be described herein to convey an understanding of theinvention. Additionally, FIG. 2 illustrates one modular breakdown forthe components of the MTSCM 200. It should be understood that thedescribed functionality may alternatively be provided by an MTSCM havingfewer, greater, or differently named modules from those illustrated inthe figure.

Additionally, although modules as shown to reside in a common location,it is noted that the functionality may reside in separate components ofa system that includes a mobile terminal, an external monitor, and(optionally) an intermediate device housing the MTSCM and interfacingthe mobile terminal and external monitor. In other words, the overallfunctionality of the MTSCM may be separated such that portions of theoverall functionality are respectively provided by the mobile terminal,separate intermediate housing, and/or the external display device.

The MTSCM 200 may also be provided in the form of a chipset, configuredfor inclusion in a mobile terminal, dedicated separate signal conversiondevice, or external display terminal, and to provide the describedmobile terminal signal conversion functionality.

The MTSCM 200 includes a mobile terminal interface module 202, a signalconversion module 204, and an external device interface module 206.

The mobile terminal interface module 202 accommodates receiving themultimedia signal from the mobile terminal. A conventional physicalinterface provides a connection between the MTSCM 200 and the mobileterminal through which the signals flow to the MTSCM 200. The mobileterminal interface module 202 recognizes the multimedia signal andstores the signal for processing by the remaining modules. Buffering andthe like may be implemented to accommodate storage and signalprocessing, as described further below.

The signal conversion module 204 is in communication with the mobileterminal interface module 202 and thus accesses the received multimediasignal. The signal conversion module 204 recognizes the multimediasignal format, and processes the multimedia signal to provide aconverted signal. The converted signal may have a format and a signalpower level that differs from the one used by the mobile terminal, asappropriate for one or more types of external devices to which the MTSCM200 is connected. Various examples of the type of devices to which theMTSCM 200 may be connected are illustrated and described in connectionwith FIG. 3, below.

The external device interface 206 is in communication with the signalconversion module 204 and thus accesses the converted signal. Theexternal device interface 206 also allows connection to the external(e.g., display) device. The external device interface 206 may provideboth the feeding of the converted signal to the external device, anddriving the external device. Alternatively, the external deviceinterface 206 may merely feed the converted signal to the externaldevice, with the external device including internal elements for drivingits signal reproduction (e.g., display) facilities.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the MTSCM 300.The MTSCM 300 includes additional detail regarding the signal conversionaspect, and illustrates examples of differing types of external devicesto which the MTSCM 300 may provide converted signals. The illustrationand corresponding description are provided by way of example. Althoughnumerous connections are illustrated, it should be understood that thepresent invention may be practiced in the context of providing as few asone, and as many as all of the listed connections. It should also beunderstood that there may be additional examples that are not listedherein, but which are encompassed by the teachings described herein.

The MTSCM 300 includes an interface/buffer module 302 that is analogousto the previously described mobile terminal interface module. The bufferand interfacing are configured to accommodate signal processing by theremaining elements in support of the requirements and expectations ofusers of the multimedia signal output (e.g., adequate buffering andprocessing rate to provide real time audio/video). The mobile terminalvideo compression format may of course vary, but currently the mostlikely format is MPEG-1 or MPEG-2. Buffering and throughput rate mayalso be provided as desired by the designer. Currently, it is believedthat 200 Mb is an adequate buffer size, although buffers of 500 Mb ormore may of course be provided. Additionally, a throughput rate ofapproximately 10 Gb/s will be adequate for many current systems, but maybe increased as demands and technology evolve.

The Video Compress Decoder 304 a receives the multimedia signal. Themultimedia signal is typically provided in a compressed format toaccommodate increased signal transfer rates. An example of a compressionscheme is that provided by one of the MPEG standards (e.g., MPEG-1,MPEG-2, MPEG-4). The Video Compress Decoder 304 a is configured toinclude the appropriate compression/decompression (CODEC) module toaccommodate decompression of the received multimedia signal. Forexample, where the compression scheme is MPEG, the Video CompressDecoder 304 a includes an MPEG CODEC to accommodate processing of suchmultimedia signals.

As an alternative to provision of the Video Compress Decoder 304 a inthe MTSCM 300, the functionality may be provided within the cellularphone or other mobile terminal. However, this may be less practicalbecause of the high bandwidth that would be required between thecellular phone and the MTSCM 300 to deliver the decompressed signal, andthe corresponding likelihood of a larger buffer requirement for theMTSCM 300.

The Video Compress Decoder 304 a outputs a decompressed digitalmultimedia signal that is passed to the Digital/Analog Video Encoder(DAVE) 304 b and/or the Digital/Digital Video Encoder (DDVE) 304 c. TheDAVE 304 b is configured to prepare signals for analog external displayterminals 320, and the DDVE 304 c is configured to prepare signals fordigital external display terminals 322. The DAVE 304 b and DDVE 304 crespectively receive the decompressed multimedia signal and convert thesignals to the format(s) and signal power level(s) required for theterminals to which they interface.

Examples of formats used by analog display terminals 320 includeS-video, RGBHV, RGBS, and EIA770.3 as illustrated. Similarly, the DDVE304 c provides output using standards such as DVI, DVI-D, HDMI, andIEEE1394. The signals respectively provided by the DAVE 304 b and DDVE304 c are provided to the terminals through conventional interfaces 306a-b. The DAVE 304 b functionality may be embodied as a video card thatis configured accordingly. Examples of video cards that may beconfigured to provide the described functionality include but are notlimited to the Diamond Stealth S60, ASUS V9400-X, or RADEON 7000.

Ultimately, the signals are used to provide a display on the externaldisplay, as required according to the particular type of display. Forexample, the video data stream may be a digital RGB signal whichrepresents the intensity of the red, green and blue light respectivelyat different position. This signal is converted to analog by a D/Aconverter. This converted analog signal is quantified to the voltage andformat required by the standard, such as the input of cathode-ray-tube(CRT) monitor. This standard video signal will drive a set of electronguns, which produce a controlled stream of electrons to display of red,green and blue light respectively on a CRT screen. This is but oneexample and the present invention is not limited to a particulartechnology (e.g., CRT) for the external display.

As described, in one embodiment the MTSCM may be independently housedseparately from both the mobile terminal and external display terminal,with respective connections to the other devices to provide a systemconfiguration that includes the three pieces of hardware (mobileterminal, conversion box, external display terminal). This configurationprovides the flexibility of allowing any standard mobile terminal and/ordisplay to be potentially interface with the MTSCM without imposingconstraints on the mobile terminal or external display terminalmanufacturers. A possible drawback to this configuration is thatadditional hardware is introduced into the system.

In lieu of the three component system, the MTSCM may be located ineither the mobile terminal or the external display. FIG. 5 is aschematic diagram illustrates an example of a system 500 in which theMTSCM mobile terminal signal conversion may reside within the mobileterminal 508. The components and functionality of the service providers502 a,b network 504 and base station 506 for delivering multimediasignals to the mobile terminal 508 is the same as for the analogouselements of FIG. 1 and need not be re-described. Similarly, the externaldisplay terminal 514 may be any of the various types named above.

The MTSCM 512 provides the same functionality described above. However,in contrast to residence in a separate housing, the MTSCM 512 is acomponent of the mobile terminal 508. A potential advantage of thissystem 500 is that, again, any standard equipment can serve as anexternal display terminal 514, without a constraint on the displaymanufacturer. Additionally, only a simple wired or wireless interface isrequired to connect the external display with the mobile terminal 508.This means, for example, that the user will not be required to carry abulky conversion module in addition to their cellular phone.

A potential drawback to this system 500 is that the execution platformof the mobile terminal 508 may be designed to accommodate onlytraditional functionality, so for some systems it may be challenging toadd the MTSCM functionality to the existing platform. Additionally, theMTSCM will consume power that may unduly exhaust the limited powersupply offered by the mobile terminal 508 battery. It is useful for thisembodiment to provide power to the mobile terminal 508 through the cableconnection to the external display terminal 514, but again this mayrequire modification to the mobile terminal 508 as the existing chargerinterface may be insufficient.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a system600, in which the MTSCM 612 resides within the external display terminal614. As with FIG. 5, the components and functionality of the serviceproviders 602 a,b network 604 and base station 606 for deliveringmultimedia signals to the mobile terminal 608 is the same as for theanalogous elements of FIG. 1 and need not be re-described.

Here, the mobile terminal 608 need only be connected directly to theexternal display terminal 614. However, in lieu of having the MTSCM 612functionality reside within the mobile terminal 608, it is part of theexternal display terminal 614. The power supply and execution platformissues associated with placing the MTSCM 614 in the mobile terminal areresolved with this system 600, and any mobile terminal 608 canpotentially be connected to any MTSCM-ready external display withoutrequiring modification, other than provision of an output interface. Apotential drawback of this configuration is that it adds a component tothe standard external display terminal, and corresponding costs.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating examples of mobile terminalsignal conversion applications 700 in accordance with the presentinvention. These applications 700 are provided by way of example, togive the reader an understanding of the potential contexts in whichembodiments of the present invention may operate. The present inventionis not limited to the disclosed applications, nor are all potentialapplications required for any given embodiment.

The basic architecture for provision of the wireless communicationssignal and corresponding multimedia signal is as described above for theservice providers 702 a-b, network 704, base station 706 and mobileterminal 708. The MTSCM 710 may be separate or reside in the mobileterminal 708 or display terminal 712. Examples of applications 714 wherea larger screen and potentially superior audio may be enjoyed includevideo conference, HDTV, games, GPS, and video on demand. Additionally,embodiments of the present invention will accommodate enjoyment of fullmultimedia capability in locations 716 including vehicles, airports,hotels and remote resorts. Thus, for example, the present inventionaccommodates usage inside a vehicle, a plane or any type oftransportation, enabling the passenger to browse the Internet, watch TV,play games, participate in a video conference or call, and work on allsorts of software with full functionality.

Thus embodiments of the present invention produce and provide mobileterminal signal conversion. Although the present invention has beendescribed in considerable detail with reference to certain embodimentsthereof, the invention may be variously embodied without departing fromthe spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claimsshould not be limited to the description of the embodiments containedherein in any way.

1. An apparatus for converting and providing signals, the apparatuscomprising: an input interface configured for receiving a video signalappropriate for displaying a video content on a mobile terminal; aprocessing unit configured for processing the video signal to produce aconverted video signal for use by an alternative display terminal,wherein the processing includes converting a signal format of the videosignal to a different format for output to the alternative displayterminal, and the converted video signal produced by the processing unitcomprises a high definition digital signal; wherein the processing thevideo signal comprises converting the video signal with a compressionformat to a decompressed digital video signal; wherein the processingthe video signal further comprises encoding the decompressed digitalvideo signal for transmission to the alternative display terminalthrough a digital high definition interface; and an output interfaceconfigured for providing the converted video signal to the alternativedisplay terminal through the digital high definition interface toaccommodate displaying the video content by the alternative displayterminal.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein power from a sourceexternal to the mobile terminal charges the interval power supply of themobile terminal for said processing the video signal.